Hurricane season is a reality of life in the Cayman Islands, and for homeowners, being prepared starts long before a storm is on the horizon.
The strongest preparation is practical: knowing what your household will do, making sure your home is ready and taking the time to understand how your insurance will respond if a hurricane causes damage.
For homeowners, hurricane season is also a useful prompt to revisit an insurance policy that may have been arranged a while ago. Circumstances and properties change, and the cover you actually have may not be the cover you assume you have.
At Consilium Cayman, our team works with homeowners to help prepare for the physical and financial risks that come with hurricane season, providing local support alongside specialist insurance expertise.
Preparation Starts at Home
There is plenty homeowners can do before a storm develops to make sure homes and families are better prepared.
Start with a family emergency plan. Make sure everyone knows what to do, where they would go if evacuation became necessary and how you would stay in contact with each other.
It is also worth putting together an emergency kit before you need it. At a minimum, this should include:
Around your property, look for anything that could become a problem in strong winds or heavy rain. Trim trees and remove branches that could cause damage and secure outdoor furniture, signs and other loose objects.
Take the opportunity to check your shutters, roofing and drainage systems. Small issues are much easier to address while conditions are calm than when a storm is approaching. Keep vehicles fuelled and maintained so you are not relying on last-minute preparations when everyone else is doing the same.
Review Your Insurance Before You Need It
Physical preparation can reduce the potential for damage, but it cannot remove the risk entirely. Your insurance is the other important part of the equation.
One of the simplest steps homeowners can take this hurricane season (and each one in the future) is to review your policy and make sure you understand exactly what is covered.
Homeowners Insurance can provide protection for:
The home itself
Permanent fixtures
External structures
Household contents
Personal possessions
Liability exposures
It is particularly important to understand how your policy responds to hurricanes and associated risks. Not every homeowners policy provides the same level of protection.
Consilium offers both Full Coverage and Non-Catastrophe Coverage. Full Coverage includes protection against hurricanes, windstorms and associated flooding. Non-Catastrophe coverage excludes these events.
Knowing which type of policy you have and understanding its terms means there are fewer surprises when you need your insurance most.
When A Hurricane Is Forecast
Once a hurricane is forecast to affect the Cayman Islands, preparation moves to another level. Keep monitoring official updates from Cayman Islands Hazard Management and the National Weather Service so you have the latest information as conditions develop.
Then, work through the practical steps that can be completed before the storm arrives:
Charge phones, laptops and backup batteries
Fill containers with clean water in case water services are disrupted
Secure windows and doors using shutters or approved protection
Move valuables and electronics away from areas vulnerable to flooding
Bring in or secure anything outside that could become loose or cause damage
Review your family’s emergency plan and make sure everyone knows what to do
As conditions deteriorate, stay away from windows and move to an appropriate area of shelter. Preparation is much easier when it is done steadily and early, rather than under pressure in the final hours before a storm.
Does Your Insurance Work Beyond the Policy Document?
Choosing the right cover is important, but so is knowing who you can turn to when you need support. Consilium Cayman provides homeowners with a dedicated senior point of contact and support throughout the policy lifecycle, including claims assistance when an incident occurs.
That means you have access to local support from a team that understands the Cayman market, backed by the wider insurance expertise and international market access of Consilium.
For homeowners, that relationship can be valuable long after the policy is issued. As your property, possessions and circumstances change, your insurance should be reviewed regularly.
Prepare Now, Not Later
Nothing can eliminate hurricane risk entirely, but you can make sure you have prepared for the things within your control.
Have the family plan in place. Keep your emergency supplies ready. Secure your property. Know how your insurance responds to hurricane and windstorm damage and review your cover before a storm is forecast, when there is still time to make changes.
Protect. Prepare. Recover.
If you would like to review your Homeowners insurance or talk to the Consilium Cayman team about your protection, get in touch before the next storm develops.
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